Thursday, April 29, 2010

What I listen to when I want to fall asleep: Pink Floyd: Division Bell, Buddha Machine

I discovered years ago that this one particular Pink Floyd cod just makes me fall asleep. I love it. And the Buddha Machine is this weird arty project that I think was kind of intended to be used for meditational sound scapes. I never did get my hands on an actual machine but I have the sounds from it. And there is also an app for that (go figure). It’s a little droney, a little incessant and really, really soothing for me.

What I listen to when I want to relax: Rancid: And Out Come the Wolves, Ramones: Pretty much any Ramones but most likely the Greatest Hits

I know it seems counter intuitive but punky loud music kind of wears me out. I like to listen to it when I just want to get home, kick off my shoes and watch crappy tv. It kind of keeps me in overdrive until I can get into my pj and start dozing.

What I listen to when I want to work; Opera, Thom Yorke: The Eraser

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again. I am not that well versed (ha! Get it?) in opera. It’s kind of pretty noise to me. I have read up on a lot of the operas that I listen to and I have some favorite singers (Franco Corelli), and preferred operas (NOT La Boheme) but it’s really just nice in the background. I have seen operas, some I have enjoyed more than others and I would like to see more. But when I am working, it’s nice to not know the words and get distracted. It’s pure feeling, I don’t know the story, but I can certainly get the emotions behind it. And as for Thom Yorke…I am oddly obsessed with his solo album and wish he would do another. I listen to it a lot. A lot a lot. I mean it’s kind of silly.

What I listen to when I want to feel like someone is whispering in my ear: John Doe: The Wilderness, David Gray: White Ladder, Gary Louris:Vegabonds

You know what I mean, right? That soft voice in your ear that may or may not give you shivers. Or maybe just makes you feel not quite alone, not that you were feeling lonely but just that little…you know what I mean, right? I have long loved John Doe, in X, as an actor and then I bought this album and I kind of feel like I found him all over again. Not as punky as X, just mellow and kind of sad, but in a good way. Kind of all golden light in the late afternoon, if you know what I mean. Now, David Gray, I have a few of his albums and he’s just a fine, fine musician, but I CAN NOT WATCH HIM SING. Well, not if he’s playing the guitar because he does this odd head nodding thing and I swear it looks like it’s gonna fall right off. But I don’t care because White Ladder is such a good, good album that I listen to it over and over. And of course, Gary Louris is part of my beloved Jayhawks, which doesn’t hurt, not at all.

What I listen to when I want a place to feel like home; The Cure, Radiohead: Pablo Honey, The Jayhawks

What I listen to when I want to revisit my youth: Adam and the Ants: Kings of the Wild Frontier and Prince Charming

My brother introduced me and my mother to Adam and the Ants and we fell in love. My mom loves the drums. I loved Adam. It’s good stuff to bounce around to. Mom even took me to see him in concert when I was in…probably just in high school. It was when he was solo on the “Stripped” Tour. Mom dressed up as a pirate and danced the whole time.

What I listen to when I want to sing loud: the soundtrack to Josie and the Pussycats

I know, I know. Bad, bad movie. I totally agree. Excellent soundtrack that was created by a bunch of cool people. Anna Waronker, Adam Duritz, the girl from…um…I don’t know, people you kind of vagely know from other bands. Some dude from Fountains of Wayne and the girl from…The band had an album called “Wholesale Meats and Fish”…Oh…Letters to Cleo. Right. Oh and Matthew Sweet. Anyway…good soundtrack and I like to sing it. It’s almost in a key I can sort of keep in tune and it’s very girl power-y.

What I listen to while driving: Pretty much anything, but often times it’s Django Reinhardt

I have a nice box set and I can listen to it for weeks at a stretch and never get bored. Mostly it’s instrumental but there are plenty of songs with singers and so it kind of covers all the bases.

What I listen to when I wasn to sing softly: Tom Waits, Everything but the Girl

I never feel bad when I sing to Tom Waits songs. I mean, I feel BAD because so many of them are so mournful, but I don’t feel bad because, let’s be honest here, the dude has a strange way of singing…and that makes my strange way of singing seem less strange. As for Everything but the Girl, it’s weird, Tracy Thorne has a beeeeyoootiful voice, oddly deep but just lovely, and I can almost, not quite keep up with it. So, I can handle most of the notes. Not as nicely as she does, but it’s not like trying to sing along with…I don’t know, Christina Aguilaria, or anyone who uses an autotuner.

What I listen to when I feel all girl-powery: Loretta Lynn, Spice Girls (no,seriously)

Aw, hells yeah! I loves me some Lo-retta Lynn. Always have. Well, always probably since I first saw Coal Miner’s DAugher, which is one of my all time favorite movies and I think I know all the words. (An' stoppa that growlin'. You sound like a big ol' bar.) But she is really one of those songwriters that people tend to dismiss, oh, it’s just tears in your beer country music, but dude, Loretta is the queen of girl power. Songs about birthcontrol and beating up women who cheat. Squaws on warpaths and all that. Just awesome stuff.

Of course then there is the Spice Girls. But c’mon, I’m not saying they were brilliant, just brilliant at what they did. I don’t much care for their ballads, but the dance stuff is great fun and you get to actually yell GIRL POWER during it. Hence the girl-powery vibe.

What I listen to when I need to feel a little bit badass: AC/DC, Green Day

Have you seen these two? Cute stuff. Partially, I really like watching the videos because that Nataly Dawn is so cute, but the music works so well in that lo-fi way. It’s just sweet and charming and not at all AC/DC.

What I LITERALLY was just listening to:

Radiohead: Pablo Honey. Got the urge. But I am thinking this world could use a little hmmmm….How about some Cake?

So, the Snarkydork recently posted on music and as she and I have some crossover in our listening, I was very interested. Then Russell of EBCB has been doing this thing about music too, and again I was interested.

I can’t promise to be interesting but here (shoves this at you)…

What I’ve been listening to lately: Well, I am a radio listener, for the most part, in my car. Not entirely by choice. But I don’t have a mp3 jack in my car, and I get tired of my cds from time to time, so it’s a blend of news, rock and the sort of indie station here in L.A. Kind of radio ready indie, as it were. But it’s what there is. There is a pretty good stretch of my drive where the news station isn’t available and I switch between the two music stations looking for something I like. And what I like is pretty whimsical. 70’s rock, 80’s “alternative”, the occasional pop tune. I hop between stations with…um…I can’t think of a good word here…oh! abandon, that will work. Once I get the main bits of news traffic and weather, it’s music, until there are commercials, then it’s cds.

The Cds: In my car at any given time are probably about…let’s be conservative and say 50 cds. It’s terrible. They get everywhere, under the seats, in every nook and cranny and none of them are ever in the proper case or carrier. It’s annoying, but it’s also a necessity. It’s a long drive. What’s a girl to do?

Some of the cds are just regular ol’ cds, I can tell you from memory that at this moment, in the pocket of the door on the driver’s side is…well…let’s see, I know there is a Cyndi Lauper cd, her last one, the dancey one, and I know there is a Britney Spears cd…Circus, I think it’s called. Gary Louris, lest you think all I listen to is disco dance pop, and I think a Gary Louris/Mark Oleson duet as well, Andrew Bird, and I know there WAS a Bibio cod, but that might be elsewhere by now (apologies, Word is once again insisting that I listen to cods in my car and well…yeah). Oh, Spoon, is there, and at least one Gorillaz and I know by David Gray’s “White Ladders” is in there because I was just listening to it.

Then there are the mixes. Or, more specifically, the throw-togethers. Cds that I just throw songs I am interested in on. No rhyme or reason, and usually things I have come across on music blogs, free from amazon or at places like 3hive. They all get chucked on so I can see what I like. And that’s how I end up finding a lot of new music.

Then there are the sing-along cds….I don’t really have to go into this, do I? I know I am not the only person who sings in my car…loudly. Lots of Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Holly Cole and…the occasional big musical dance number.

At the moment I am seeking out music for a friend who is a belly dancer and wants something new to make her shake. I’ve been pulling together a lot of trip-hop and bluesy feeling stuff so…um…when you pass me on the four oh five and I look like I am having a seizure, it’s seated belly dancing. Seriously. I can’t expect her to dance to it if can’t, right?